Originally posted by fable
How do you feel about attempts at religious conversion? Note, not just to some form of Protestantism--what about your converting others to your point of view, even if you're an atheist? Is it right, or wrong, and why? If it is right, how should it be done? If it is wrong, how would you stop it?
How do I feel about attempts at religious conversion? I have had the privilege of personally converting, or helping to convert, five people to Christianity in the past seven years, mostly from the Washington campus ministry; their backgrounds were Sikh, Hindu, Agnostic, Atheist, and Muslim. It's not that hard, or complicated, really. The hard part is actually finding someone - anyone - open to studying the Bible or coming out to a church service (read - the more you sow, the more you reap. Not enough Christian sow, unfortunately). Afterwards, if he or she in interested in learning more about Scripture, and what it means to be a Christian, and how to become one, the minister or one of his assistants (usually a summer intern) schedules a time to meet with him or her (usually at the library or a restaurant cafe nearby) to expound the message in greater detail, the soteriological process embraced by that denomination, and the sacrifices such a decision must require (ie. lordship of Christ, obedience to his word, repentence and baptism). In my experience, I have never witnessed any form of mind control, or emotional and/or intellectual manipulation. Perhaps the closest thing to "manipulation" that occurs, if you can call it that, is the part where the minister introduces the consequence of rejecting Jesus Christ - eternal punishment in hell. This happens very, very rarely, but the justification is that since J.C. himself preached about the road to perdition (in fact, he taught more often about hell than about prayer), it is the responsibility of his followers to do the same in order for some to be saved. If the person accpts tyhe message, he or she is then baptized and welcomed as a member of the Church.
Is this wrong? I don't think so. I think it is pre-eminently right, especially when I see the renewed sense of hope, and change in the characters, lives, and relationships of some of the people who, before their conversion, had no business being anywhere near a church building.
Of course, I recognize there is wrong way to convert somebody to Christianity, or for that matter any religion or political ideology. When human beings are involved, the likelihood of something going wrong goes up exponentially. In the United States, however, with our constitution, and history of religious revivals, awakenings, and movements, as well as the Religious Right's influence in money and votes upon Republican politics, I seriously doubt proselytization is likely to be curbed, even if done nefariously.
